McCain issues challenge for 10 town hall meetings

BATON ROUGE, La. - John McCain challenged Barack Obama to join him in 10 town-hall meetings with voters before the Democratic convention in August.

An Obama adviser was receptive to the idea and said the campaign would discuss it.

McCain, the Republican nominee-in-waiting, sent his rival a letter outlining the offer Wednesday, the day after Obama clinched the Democratic nomination. McCain suggested the first town hall be held June 12 in New York.

"We need to now sit down and work out a way that we can have these town hall meetings and have a great debate," McCain told reporters Wednesday in Baton Rouge.

He credits a more intimate town hall format, a give-and-take with audience members chosen at random, with his victory in New Hampshire that launched his climb to the GOP nomination.